2026-07-10
World Champion Jurgis Kairys to Thrill Spectators before the Start of the Aurum 1006 km Race
From July 15–18, the Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook race circuit in Palanga will once again echo with the roar of dozens of high-performance racing cars producing thousands of horsepower.
Spectators will be treated not only to breathtaking speed and extreme G-forces on the track but also to a spectacular show in the skies. Before the start of the main race, multiple-time World Aerobatic Champion Jurgis Kairys will take to the air above the temporary race venue, delivering an unforgettable aerial performance for competitors and fans alike.
Over the course of his decades-long career, Kairys has won multiple World Aerobatic Championship titles and numerous medals at both European and World Championships, including in the demanding freestyle category, his personal favourite. Throughout his career, he has become renowned worldwide for performing aerobatic manoeuvres that were once considered impossible. He is also a winner of the Aerobatic Grand Prix.
Kairys says this will be his first appearance at the Aurum 1006 km race and promises to perform manoeuvres that he was the first pilot in the world to execute.
"I hope the weather cooperates so I can perform everyone's favourite Cobra manoeuvre, as well as draw my signature 'J' in the sky – one of the most challenging aerobatic figures ever performed," says the aerobatics master.
Few people know that Kairys himself helped design the Juka aerobatic aircraft together with a team of engineers.
The world-famous Lithuanian pilot will perform in either a Su-31 or a Juka aircraft, both certified to withstand operational loads of up to 12 G. During his routines, Kairys explains, he regularly experiences positive and negative loads of up to 10 G.
"To understand what 10 G feels like, simply multiply your body weight by ten. That's effectively how much your body weighs at that moment. For an untrained person, enduring such forces is almost impossible."
Recalling His Formula 1 Experience
Asked whether he would like to compete in a racing car, Kairys revealed that he has already experienced Formula 1.
He once rode in a two-seater Formula 1 car driven by former West McLaren driver Olivier Panis at the Brno Circuit in the Czech Republic.
Although the G-forces generated by a Formula 1 car are nowhere near those experienced during an aerobatic flight, Kairys admits the experience was still intense.
"Approaching the first corner, I honestly thought I was about to see the gates to the next world. While the G-forces are greater in an aircraft, the sheer speed of a Formula 1 car creates a completely different kind of adrenaline. By the second or third lap, though, I started getting used to it and understanding how everything worked."
The pilot added that he has also driven on racing circuits himself and was soon able to achieve impressively competitive lap times.
Aurum 1006 km race organiser Darius Jonušis is delighted that this year's event will give visitors the opportunity to witness the legendary pilot's performance in person.
"People like Jurgis Kairys are a source of immense pride for Lithuania. What he accomplishes in the air simply has to be seen live to truly appreciate the extraordinary skill, endurance and razor-sharp concentration this discipline demands. I warmly invite everyone to come to Palanga on Saturday, July 18, before the start of the main race, and experience Jurgis Kairys' remarkable performance up close," says Jonušis.
The action in Palanga begins next Wednesday, while the first on-track sessions for the main race competitors will take place on Thursday with the opening practice sessions.
The Aurum 1006 km race will officially start at 12:00 noon on Saturday, July 18.
Photos: Jurgis Kairys' personal archive.